Guide to S.A. 2011: River and park projects open new green spaces

Updated 12:31 pm, Tuesday, August 23, 2011

With theme and water parks to our north, east and west and a downtown haunted house, there is no shortage of thrills available to San Antonians.

But if theme parks are not your cup of tea, and you wish to spend a more down-to-earth afternoon, parks and swimming pools are never far from reach. San Antonio has 238 parks, including 26 pools spread throughout the city, and 23 miles of developed linear bike trails that are partly interconnected. And that trail system is expanding.

“People can do everything from skateboarding or swimming at the second-oldest public park in the United States, to running along the San Antonio River from Spanish mission to Spanish mission, or even hiking in a forested wilderness that was once a dairy farm, all in one city,” said Parks and Recreation director Xavier Urrutia.

Phil Hardberger Park is the latest addition to the city’s park system. Its 311 acres are designed to place visitors in an entirely natural environment despite its very urban location. City, county and park officials have been pushing for and emphasizing green open spaces.

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“For the size of this city, this city has a great park system,” said Brian Lang, director of the San Antonio Visitor Information Center. “The city is trying to get people outdoors.”

A two-mile section of the San Antonio River, from Lone Star Boulevard to Mission Road, reopened this summer, with its ecosystem restored and new trails, benches, bridges and riffle structures. The last six miles of the restoration are expected to be ready by August 2013. That same project will also connect walkers, joggers and cyclists along the river to the four missions downstream from downtown, as well as expand the trail system by 15 miles.

“That will be a big asset to the city when that is completed,” Lang said. “I think San Antonio is on its way to being a great outdoor city.”

With the requisite permits, people can also kayak or canoe on sections of the river and Woodlawn Lake. The region’s temperate climate also allows for sporting and charity races year-round.

With the 2009 opening of the Museum Reach of the river north of downtown, for the first time one can now walk from Brackenridge Park to Mission Road without losing sight of the river.